Procrastination, Pincha Mayurasana & Peaches

The following is from my June 2013 free monthly newsletter. Click here for full newsletter.

Procrastination

“Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow.”
– Mark Twain
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Are you being as productive as you want? If not, is it due to procrastination? Studies show that 20 percent of people are ‘chronic procrastinators’ – those who make the habit of putting things off a lifestyle practice. That’s higher than rates of depression, phobias or ADD! Learn more.

This issue affects so many people (about 75% of college students), there’s actually a Biennial International Meeting on the Study and Treatment of Procrastination. I’m surprised it’s not it’s own disorder in the DSM (Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).

Here are some key takeaways from my events:
* Procrastination is mainly about poor self-regulation and excellent self-deception.
* The five main lies that procrastinators tell themselves, according to procrastination expert, Joseph Ferrari, Ph.D., are:
Overestimating the time they have left to perform tasks.
Underestimating the time it takes to complete tasks.
Overestimating how motivated they will feel the next day, the next week, the next month — whenever they are putting things off until.
Mistakenly thinking that succeeding at a task requires that they feel like doing it.
Mistakenly believing that working when not in the mood is suboptimal.
Read here about overcoming procrastination.
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“If it weren’t for the last minute, I wouldn’t get anything done.” – unknown
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Pincha Mayurasana (Feathered Peacock Pose)

“At the approach of the rainy season, peacocks dance. When they start, they lift up their trailing tail feathers and spread them to form fans …
This pose resembles that of a peacock starting his dance.” – BKS Iyengar, Light on Yoga
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My yoga teacher, Lori Salomon, and me, doing the peacock dance, ha. This pose is a fun forearm balance, and what I like to call pinch-a my ass-ana.

It’s my favorite pose, partly because it feels so great, and partly because it took a while to master kicking up into it without the wall (in my many years with Lori!), which is why it feels so rewarding.

Lori says: “Pincha Mayurasana is powerful work for the shoulders! It cultivates awareness and tone through the entire body, and evokes the stability required for a safe headstand. Become comfortable in this pose and develop the mobility and strength required to progress into more complex arm balances and backbends.” Watch a video of Lori getting into the pose.

To get into Scorpion pose, just bend your knees. As much as I feel like my feet are near my head, they’re not even close!
_____________Peaches

“You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, and there’s still going to be somebody who hates peaches.” – Dita Von Teese
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Happy peach season! Wow are they delicious in California right now.

The peach tree originated over 3,000 years ago in China, and is now one of the most popular fruit trees in the world.

Peaches are high in fiber, which helps with digestion, and they contribute a substantial amount of potassium, a mineral needed to start and transmit nerve impulses, maintain the fluid equilibrium in cells, and for normal muscle activity. And they are low in carbs and calories.

Make peaches part of a healthy, brain-boosting Mediterranean diet, which Dr. Oz, and other nutrition experts, say is the healthiest diet in the world. Learn more.
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Val’s Peach/Raspberry Pie